She's hurt and I'm herwhat?
by Spindelhona
Summary: Kagome is wounded and Inuyasha's eaten up by guilt, until something else demands his attention. Done before, not original at all.


**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Takahashi Rumiko. **

The sun was setting over the small village as the group approached its boarders, turning the rather chilly evening into a golden landscape of beauty.

Not that anyone cared though.

Sango was carrying Kirara in her arms. The neko yokai had been wounded in their last battle and Sango wanted her to rest, even if Sango herself had been wounded too. She had a limp on her left leg but refused to acknowledge it. Miroku was panting heavy, having trouble to breathe. He had failed to notice Narakus poisonus bees until it was too late. Those damned things were everywhere these days, even when no incarnation of Naraku was around. Shippou padded next to him, throwing a worried glance at him every now and then. It was his job to scream if anything happened to Miroku, Sango or Kirara, and Shippou took his duty seriously. Staggering a bit behind came Kagome, knees weak of tiredness. Her school uniform was covered in blood and torn in many places. However, the blood wasn't hers - or not all of it, at least. Much of it belonged to the hanyou that was forming aftertroup, constantly turning around and sniffing the air to make sure nobody followed them. Kagome glanced backwards to make sure he was still there and sighed as she saw him sniff towards the trees again.

Inuyasha had been magnificent in the last battle. The five yokai they had met would've been easy for him to kill off in an instant, had it not been for the fact that the yokai insisted on batteling in a village full of people - who refused to leave their town! Kagome had tried to make them understand that they could easy rebuilt homes but not lives - and they had still stayed, saying that it was the groups fault that the yokai came and that they'd better not harm anything. Inuyasha, Sango, Kirara and Miroku had had to fight trying not to harm anyone or anything, while the yokai had stomped their way through, making the group need to trail off and save people and buildings here and there. That made the group defensless sometimes, and so, they had all ended up wounded. Kagome thought of how one of the yokai had pierced a spear through Inuyasha. For a dreadful moment she believed him to be dead. That was when she had ran up to that yokai and killed him with a purifying arrow. Her back ungarded, she had been unprepaired as another yokai had slammed her aside in a combination of a cut and a hit, leaving three red stripes over her belly and side. When she woke up again all the yokai was defeated and Inuyasha had held her in his arms, shedding blood on her without noticing, worrying and angry with the villagers for forcing him to fight in a way that put Kagomes safety at risk. To satistfy and soothe him, Kagome had been yelling at the poor villagers. A lot.

Kagome sighed again. Inuyasha had not been fooled by her energic display. The cuts was stinging, sure, but worst was the aching inside that clearly showed that the hit had done som damage as well. A broken rib or two for the best, internal bleeding for the worst. She had not mentioned this to the others, but Inuyasha had figured it out when she had refused to ride his back or being carried, stating she could very well walk as everyone else, and, when her good arguments ran out, yelled OSUWARI! Dense as he was, even Inuyasha knew Kagome would never say osuwari when he was hurt without some kind of reason. And he, if anyone, knew how to tell if somebody was hurt and had soon realised something was wrong with Kagome. Since she wouldn't tell, he had been putting his guard up even more during the way home. It was his way to display his worry. Kagome thought it to be anger over the whole osuwari-display and was turning arouing as much as Inuyasha himself, worrying about him being mad.

Back at Kaedes, Kagome made sure her friends had everything they needed to recoup before she headed towards the well. Shippou stayed at Mirokus side, stating he would make sure no more bees would come near him. He was a brave kitsune as soon as there was no danger nearby. Inuyasha however followed Kagome. Walking one step behind her, he waited until they had come outside hearingrange. Then he said:

"Are those scratches really hurting that much?"

His voice sounded like he didn't care, a clear sign that he was worried but not angry. Kagome relaxed her shoulders, not even knowing she had been so tense. Part of them still were, and she realised she was bracing herself from the pain. She didn't even reflect about things like that these days.

"I got hit as well as cut." Kagome stated as calm as she could. "I think something inside me is broken."

Inuyasha winced at her words and stopped in his track. Kagome didn't notice. She allowed herself to relax the muscels even more. The pain flushed over her, but she knew it was better for her than pretending it wasn't there. She had done that too long already. Determinded she walked on, knowing the well was close by.

Inuyasha woke up from the frozen world he had been in during those short moments his brain translated what Kagome had said. Something broken inside her? Like what? Was she bleeding inside? Had she'd been hurting all the way home? How come he didn't notice?

How come he didn't protect her better?

"Ka- Kagome!" he yelled, running after her just as she reached the well. Her forehead was covered in sweat and her eyes was narrowed in pain as she turned to him.

"Inuyasha, I need you to come with me. I won't make it up the well by myself."

"You must go to a doctor!"

Kagome nodded. Everything was spinning and she saw Inuyashas eyes widen. She knew she was fainting or slipping into a coma and said quickly:

"Help me go to mama, Inuyasha, she'll know what..."

Then darkness claimed Kagome and she knew nothing.

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Inuyasha sat in a room that smelled of medicine, blood and a strong smell that Kagomes mother called dee-sin-factor. Kagomes younger brother Souta sat next to him, his hand clutched in Inuyashas and his eyes focused on the people in the withe and green robes that walked back and forth in the hallway. Inuyasha had been done the same, since Souta told him that one of those sooner or later would know something about Kagomes state, but everyone avoided them as long as his golden gaze was fixed upon them. Now he simply stared at the floor. He had not been entitled to go with Kagome, nor had her mother. The latter had however been invited to watch the surgery, what ever that was, from the next room. Inuyasha had wanted to go too, but Kagomes mother wouldn't allow him.

"I am fairly sure it would be a mistake if you came, Inuyasha. Just wait here with Souta, I'll explain later. I must go to my daughter."

/I DO TOO!/ Inuyashas mind screamed, but he knew that this woman wouldn't stop him without good reasons. So he had waited. Now, four hours later and with Souta as scout, Inuyasha knew he was going to break something if nobody gave some information about Kagome soon. A familiar scent hit his nose and he looked up. Mother Higurashi came, her scent somewhat familiar to Kagomes and yet not at all the same. Souta spotted her just a few seconds later and ran over to her, hugging her knees.

"Mother, mother!" At first, Souta was too upset to talk, giving Inuyasha a chanse to join the group. Then he looked up.

"Mother, how's Kagome?"

Kagomes mother met Inuyashas gaze and Inuyasha saw how tired she was. This had been an ordeal for her, as for him.

"She's alright, considering. I'll tell you all when we come home, okay?"

Souta approved, but Inuyasha objected.

"Aren't we going to bring Kagome?"

"We can't. She must stay at the hospital for the night."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, trying to hide his worry.

"If Kagome stays I stay!"

Kagomes mother looked at him as if she was evaluating him, a hint of fear in her eyes. Then she simply said:

"Inuyasha, no one is allowed to see Kagome right now. Please, just come with us and I'll explain."

There was no way Inuyasha could refuse to obey this friendy softness. Without more objections, he followed the family home to an equal upset Jii-chan.

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The family gathered around a small table, sitting on the floor. Inuyasha found it strange how they all knew exactly where to sit, even himself. His place was here, on the far end, and Kagome was supposed to be just by his left side so that she could discreetly help him if something confused him. And also, he was simply supposed to be by her side. And that was the only free spot, if you didn't count the one next to mother Higurashi.

Inuyasha suddenly realised that the other empty spot had belonged to mrs Higurashis late husband. And, he saw that Soutas current place once had been the one of Jii-chans late wife. And one day, he realised, there would be a girl sitting at Jii-chans place, as the girlfriend or wife of Souta. Meaning that his place...

Inuyasha quickly stopped his thoughts when mrs. Higurashi began to talk.

"The doctor said that Kagome had an internal bleeding. I do not know exactly what, he was talking so much and I couldn't-"

Mrs. Higurashi stopped herself and bit her lower lip before she continued more calm.

"They brought her to operation and performed surgery on her. That is-" Mrs Higurashi added with a nod towards Inuyasha who had already opened his mouth to ask - "they opened Kagome up to see the wound inside and heal it."

Inuyasha was shaking. Had they cut Kagome up? She was a mere human, humans couldn't survive being cut up! He was about to yell something like that but Mrs. Higurashi stopped him.

"They have done Kagome no harm, I promise you. I was there and watched it all, making sure Kagome was fine."

Inuyasha suddenly realised why he hadn't been allowed to go with mrs Higurashi. If he had been the one to see people cutting Kagome up he would have gone berserk. No explinations would've helped.

Mrs Higurashi titled her head to the side with a small smile.

"Exactly", she said, even though Inuyasha had said nothing.

Jii-chan pulled his daughters sleeve and sobbed:

"But how is she now?"

Mrs Higurashi suddenly looked sad. Inuyasha felt his stomache tie new knots on top of the old ones.

"She's fine, they say. She's sleeping now and will wake up tomorrow. She won't be completely healed in three or four months, though. We can visit her first thing in the morning, except..."

Mrs Higurashi raised her head, lokking at Inuyasha with sad eyes.

"...you can't come, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha felt something stab his heart and his guts was entwining even more. Not allowed to come?

"Is it...is it because I failed to protect her?" he asked in a silent tone.

"No!" Mrs Higurashi almost shouted. Inuyasha and the other men was starteled by her voice.

"Oh, Inuyasha-kun, I want you to go there since I know Kagome would be glad, but you can't! You see, after surgery the doctors came to talk with me - with a police along. They said that it looked like Kagome had been beaten, and not just this once but more often. She has small fractions here and there and bruises and scars all over her body. And they had seen you, asking who you were. I said you are Kagomes boyfriend. So they asked if you were with her when she got hurt, and I said yes, thinking she was lucky you were. But they jumped to other conclusions. They think - Inuyasha, they think that you are beating Kagome up!"

Inuyasha didn't know what hurt the most: to know that people thought he was hurting Kagome or the fact that she had been injured a lot more than he had known. No, it had to be the latter. He knew for sure her skin had been unspolied when all of this began - he had seen her naked while trying to steal the shikon shard. Had her body really been that battered along the road?

Mrs. Higurashi sobbed, unaware of Inuyashas thoughts.

"I was told to get Souta and leave you to the police, but I could never do that! To think that you would hurt Kagome, it's riddiculus! They will probably come here to look for you, too. I can always say I was in chock when I brought you along, and that you have left now."

"Must Inu no nii-chan leave for real?"

Soutas question suddenly made Inuyasha realise what was going on. People in this world accused him of beating Kagome, and Kagomes mother was lying to them to protect him - and now they were thinking about what would be best for him to do. All while Kagome was alone and unprotected in the hostpital. She and the jewel shards... the shards!

"Where are the shards? The shikon shards?"

Inuyasha blunted out the question without thinking. Only Kagome could purify them, they needed to be with her!

Mrs Higurashi sat stunned for a moment, then she reached for something in her sweater and pulled up the chain with the glass bottle. The shards shone in pink, purified. Inuyasha was baffeled. He had not known mrs. Higurashi was a miko as well!

"My powers are not near Kagomes strength. She is, and has always been, much more true to herself than I am."

Inuyasha trusted her. Mrs. Higurashi had always had some of a miko's clamness over her features, even if he hadn't really thought about it. Now he could sense the calm and deep flow of pure energy float around Kagomes mother, not unsimilar to Kaedes. Inuyasha suddenly realised that Mrs. Higurashi not only had miko powers, but was a trained miko. Mrs. Higurashi smiled and motioned for him not to tell anyone; they would discuss it later. Fair enought by Inuyasha. He was already backtracking to something more important. He rose from the table, gaining everyones attention.

"I can't leave Kagome alone and ungarded all night."

He was prepared to be stopped, for them to say he couldn't go, and had his arguments ready.

"That's a splendid idea! Kagome can be assaulted by dark forces if not proteced since I haven't put up any barrier!" Jii-chan stated.

"Even if you had, Inuyasha no nii-chan would have to go. Your barriers never work!" Souta exclaimed.

"Can you please bring the shards to Kagome as well, then?"

Inuyasha was surprised as Mrs. Higurashi gave him the bottle with the shards. He looked at them in disbelieve.

"Aren't you going to stop me? After all, you hauled me away from there not long ago!"

"That was because you didn't know what the police was up to. Now you do, so you'll be fine." Mrs. Higurashi said with a large smile. Souta nodded.

"Inuyasha no nii-chan can take care of the police easy!"

"Especially with these sutras I've written for him!" Jii-chan added.

Inuyasha looked around at the family. He had brought Kagome home all hurt. She had to be cut open to heal. And still these people trusted him to bring the shards to her, to protect her from this police thing and to guard her from evil spirits. He squeezed the glass bottle in his hand.

"...I'll take care of it all, promise."

With that, Inuyasha was gone in a red flash, leaving a cheering family behind, heading towards the family member missing. Towards the one who had placed him at the spot where a boyfriend or husband would sit, insisting that was his place.

Inuyasha ran over the rooftops, heading towards the hospital. Even while going in the car back home he had been fully aware of the way so he knew which way to go. Northeast, that was enought for him. He would know more when he came closer. Noticing the whereabouts of the members of what he thought of as his pack was part of his duty as the leader, seen from the inu-angle. But then again, Inuyasha simply did not like not to know where the ones he cared for were.

_  
// I'm glad I noticed the way. Since Kagome went there by car, I wouldn't be able to trace her by scent this time. //_

Inuyasha held the Shikon Shards in a tight grip and thought briefly of all the times he had been sniffin' Kagome up. She could be in school, she could be in town, she could be kindapped, it didn't matter; as long as she went by foot or that strange b...ike...was the word, he could track her.

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Kagome's tiredness covered her mind like a thick blanket, allowing her to slip away from the pain. It felt so good to just be and not to think for the moment... She could have enjoyed this feeling and succumbed to sleepyland once again, if it hadn't been for the fact that her body told her she was in a bed that wasn't her own and her nose told her she was in a room not her own. Struggling with tiredness, Kagome tried to figure out where she was.

_// Am I in the Warring Era? No, they don't have beds back there... Where am I//  
_  
She was starting to get more than a little anxious. Kagome had once considerated herself trusting and naiive, but that was a rather long time ago. After being abducted several times, she knew better than to just lay around when unsure of the surrondings. She struggeled to free herself from the mindstealing tiredness and open her eyes when she suddenly heard a scream.

" IEEE! MONONOKE!!! I saw a mononoke outside my window!!!"

Kagome snapped her eyes open and stared at a white ceiling.

_// Mononoke? A yokai//_ she thought, immediately grasping after the Shikon Shards to make sure they were safe - but they weren't there. Kagome gasped and sat up in panic, only to suck in her breath violently at the pain that movement caused. She fell onto her back, eyes shut. It took her several minutes to be able to focus again.

_// I remember, I was hurt. So I must be at the hospital. But where are the Shikon Shards? Has the yokai taken them already//_

Kagome forced her eyes to open again and tried to raise up, but it hurt so bad. However, she had no choice. The yokai was there NOW! She managed to sit up, leaning on her elbows but then she had to pause.

_// Up with me already! I must get the Shards back! I can't let a yokai have them, Inuyasha'll kill me//_

Caught in her inner monologue and eyes temporarly shut, Kagome didn't notice when the window flung open, but she was immediately aware of the red clad hanyou that jumped in with ease, amber eyes fixed at her, a scowl on his face. Inuyasha shut the window close and rushed to Kagomes side, firmly making her lie down again, his eyes filled with worry.

"You stupid wench! You cannot move yet!"

"Inuyasha...? What are you...?"

Kagome gazed at him with eyes big of surprise, even if he also saw the pain and worry in them. She was only dressed in a hospital shirt, a thin white thing that covered her body alright, but was more or less see-through. Inuyasha was more than a little aware of the blanket that had slid into a little pile way below Kagomes waist during her tries to get up. Suddenly embarrased, Inuyasha "Keh"-ed.

"It'll take forever for you to heal if you're going to move around. Just be still, will you?"

Kagome suddenly remembered what she had been about to do. She raised her head, wanting to sit up but stopping herlsef before she did.

"Inuyasha! They said there's a mononoke here, and the Shikon Shards are gone!"

"Oh, that's why you're upset?"

Inuyasha grinned, and Kagome got the feeling he was somehow relieved. What did he think she was upset about?

_// No, he probably guessed I was in pain...//_

_// So she's not mad at me... //_ Inuyasha thought. After all, he was the one who had completely failed to see she was hurt.

Without thinking, Inuyasha put his hand on Kagomes forehead, slightly pressing it until her head was comfortable on the pillow again. Her brown eyes did not avert his gaze, though she seemed so tired.

"I have the Shikon Shards. Your mother took them to keep them safe, but you can take them now." Inuyasha said, hending Kagome the shards. She held the small glass jar in her hand. Not one was tainted; they were as pure as ever.

"Thank you, Inuyahsa..." Kagome said, a faint smile on her lips, unaware of how truly relieved she had looked as soon as he said he had the shards.

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted, not wanting to show how proud he was over not only Kagomes mother trusting him with the Shikon Shards, but also Kagome approving of this trust. He continued before she could speak: "And the only one that may pass for a mononoke here is me!"

Kagome's eyes widened. She suddenly realised exactly what had caused the scream before.

"You...you climbed from window to window looking for me, didn't you?"

"Ah." Inuyasha said, not a worry in his mind.

_// Inuyasha no baka... He didn't even think of the fact that some one other could - and did - spot him... //_

Too tired to start that conversation/argument with the hanyou, Kagome decided she'd just drop it. He was here, after all. He had come just for her. Inuyasha stood by her bed, his eyes gazing thoughful at an instruction poster on the wall. It was about the human muscles. Kagome yawned, feeling the blanket cover her mind again since she now knew where she was and that she was safe. With Inuyasha present, everything was in order.

"Inuyasha...?" she said sleepy.

"Uh?"

"Arigatou for coming here... I'm glad."

With that, Kagome re-entered the world of heavy sleep caused by medicinial drugs, the Shikon Shards clasped in the hand resting on her chest. Inuyasha gazed at her, a question in his eyes.

_// She's glad I'm here//_

Without thinking, Inuyasha leaned forward. His claws gently brushed away a few misplaced strands of hair from Kagomes forehead while his other pulled the thin blanket up, covering her up to her chin. For a short moment Inuyasha held both his hands just barely above Kagome's cheeks, feeling the tug in his skin. He ached to hold and caress her, but only allowed himself to feel the tingling sensation and the look on her face caused by his shadow. She looked more mature, somehow, when in shadow. Almost like -

Inuyasha quickly withdrew his hands and stepped back. For a moment, a brief moment, Kagome had looked exactly like Kikyo. In her sleep, with no light to enlighten her childish expression, Kagome was mirroring Kikyo - and it made Inuyasha feel...

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Kagome woke to the sound of an overly happy nurse entrering with her breakfast - yoghurt and more liquid fluid to her veins.

"Good morning! It's a wonderful day today and how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Kagome said, completely forgetting the fact that she felt awful. She had a more important question in mind:

_// WHERE IS INUYASHA///_

She knew he had come to her, and that he had been there when she fell asleep. But where was he now? What would the nurse say? Kagome darted her eyes around the room, searching for any trace of her hanyou friend without finding any, not knowing whether that was good or bad. Meanwhile, the nurse changed the fluid, yapping about what beautiful day it was and all the many things that was to cherish in life. Kagome listened partly, wondering why the nurse was so encouraging. Suddenly Kagome's attention was caught as the nurse said:

"We have of cause put guards in the hallway, so that mean boyfriend of yours won't be able to come here. You are perfectly safe."

Kagome almost twitched her neck where she lay when she turned to the nurse.

"Boyfriend? What boyfriend?"

The nurse looked at Kagome, questions in her eyes.

"Your mother said that white-haired guy in the waiting room was your boyfriend."

_// Ah, she means Inuyasha. //_ Kagome thought.

"Ok, but what do you mean about him being mean? And why the guards?"

_// Let's just let this 'boyfriend'- thing slip through. It's not like I wouldn't mind if it was true. //_ Kagome added in her mind.

The nurse seemed almost in chock at Kagome's words.

"Your mother told us your boyfrind was with you when you got hurt, and he was as covered in blood as you, so we assumed..."

The nurse didn't continue. Kagome just sat dumbstruck. What was this woman trying to tell her? Sure Inuyasha was with her, that's why she still was alive after all. And sure he was covered in blood - his own. What did that got to do with her?

"You assumed... what?" Kagome's voice was a little lower, a silent threat. The nurse seemed very unpleased with the situation. She started to say something about talking to the doctor, but Kagome only repeated: "You assumed... what?"

"That...we...that he was beating you. You have many small fractions that indicates that -"

Kagome sat up in a flash, forgetting her wound and the surgery.

"YOU THINK INUYASHA WOULD BEAT ME? WHAT ARE YOU, STUPID???" Kagome yelled. Her stitches tore her flesh and pain rushed through her body when it rejected the harsh treatment. "AH!" she cried.

The nurse lept to her side, pushing a red button above the bed and screamed: "Painkillers to room 17!"

Before anyone could comply, the window was slammed open and a figure with white hair and amber eyes, clad in old-fashioned, blood stained haori and hakama entered. The nurse found herself shoved aside before she could say or do anything. The stranger bent over to check on Kagome.

"Kagome! What happened?"

"Inuyasha...hurts..." she whimpered.

Inuyasha turned towards the plump woman who appearently was supposed to take care of Kagome and growled.

"What did you do to Kagome?"

The nurse felt her heartbeat raise in a primitiv response to the growl.

"I – I did nothing, I-"

"Nothing like shit! She was fine this morning, then you came and now she's in pain! What did you do to Kagome?"

"I-"

"Inuyasha..."

Inuyasha swiftly turned towards Kagome, who was now trying to sit up again. Inuyasha more or less leaped to her and held her down.

"Don't move, dammit! How will you ever heal if you don't stop squirming around like that already!"

Kagome sighed.

"Nurse, I won't need any pain killers. Just let Inuyasha stay with me, okay?"

When Inuyasha had held Kagome down, the nurse had thought he was being too forceful and assumed they had been right after all. But as she saw Inuyashas hands gently stroke Kagomes arms and shoulders she realized her mistake yet again. He was primitive and rash in his movements, but those hands had never injured that girl, that much the nurse knew.

"I'll tell the doctor and the police, " the nurse finally said. Then she sneaked out the room.

Inuyasha simly continued to caress Kagomes arms and shoulders for the longest time. He made sure not to block the light as he did. Not that his caresses could ease the pain in any way, but Kagome knew he would cause hell if she was given more pain killers, worried she'd be in a coma. And how to explain he didn't know of pain killers?

Inuyasha couldn't help but letting his hands slide over withe-clad skin over and over. He had been so anxious when he heard Kagome scream after that stupid onna had said he was beating her up, and his caresses was acctually more for him than Kagome. When he finally pulled his hands away, Kagome was set into a trance-like state, on the verge of sleep. She felt so comforted, so cared for. She smiled a little.

"Inuyasha beating me up... stupid people." Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha agreed with her completely. The only one he would beat up was anyone who threatened or harmed Kagome (and maybe Kouga). He had promised her family that.

Inuyasha trailed off in thoughts.

Her family... their places around the table...

Looking over Kagome, Inuyasha wondered to himself:

_// Is it possible Kagome acctually sees me as a boyfriend of sorts//_

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She-Spider (Spindelhona) asks: Is it? I wouldn't know, the fic ends here.

Have a nice day!


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